Where in Cuba was the object seen?

The men reported seeing it over the Matahambre mining area, in Pinar del Río province.

Why was the report forwarded to the FBI?

The Bureau's representative in Havana forwarded it in case the Bureau was still interested in receiving such reports.

Two Men Reported Seeing a Hat-Shaped Object Over Cuba

Quotes from the file

"Ever since the Russians released 'Sputnik' there has been a great increase in the number of 'flying saucers' and other unidentified flying objects (UFO) reportedly seen by people all over the U. S."

Speaker: R. R. Roach (memo to A. H. Belmont, 11/12/57)

Why it matters: FBI internal recognition that Sputnik (Oct 1957) drove a measurable spike in UFO reports.

Page 6

"An object had landed in Nebraska with six people aboard, the persons had talked to a Nebraska farmer and then sped off into space; a firey object was seen flashing across the southern skies from Albany, Georgia, to Miami, Florida; a Coast Guard cutter had sighted a huge object flying over the Gulf of Mexico, and persons in the Southwestern states while driving their cars have allegedly seen UFO's that caused the engines in their automobiles to stop."

Speaker: R. R. Roach memo, 11/12/57

Why it matters: Compact catalogue of late-1957 wave reports the FBI was tracking, including the now-classic 'engine-stop' motif.

Page 6

"The Air Force investigation has either gone underground, or else they have the answer and are hiding the fact from the public."

Speaker: Inter-Continental Aerial Research Foundation (ICARF) public notice, signed R. T. Stone

Why it matters: Early formal articulation of the 'cover-up' meme by a civilian filter-center promoter — caught FBI attention because the named director could not be located in the Independence, MO city directory.

Page 12

"It is not a function of this Bureau to make character investigations of individuals who have witnessed unidentified flying objects."

Speaker: John Edgar Hoover, letter to Maj. Donald E. Keyhoe (NICAP), 9/26/58

Why it matters: Hoover's direct, on-the-record disavowal of FBI character checks on UFO witnesses — issued in response to NICAP's pointed questions.

Page 46

"Possible communication with extraterrestrial vehicles from another planet, should the unidentified flying objects prove to be extraterrestrial, is not a function of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This Bureau is, of course, interested in any aspect of any development which would affect the internal security of the United States."

Two men arrived in the town of Pinar del Río, Cuba, reporting that they had seen a hovering object. They came from the Matahambre mines, the area where they observed it. The object, they described, looked like a man's hat.

It remained airborne for several minutes without making a sound. Afterward, it moved very quickly toward the sea and disappeared. The story reached a Havana newspaper, and from there, it was forwarded to the FBI. The reason for the transfer was simple: the Bureau wanted to know if they were still interested in receiving such reports.

The Story Reaches Havana

In November 1957, the daily newspaper "Diario de la Marina" published an item about what had happened. The report was based on an account from Pinar del Río, written the day before. The two men arrived in the town from the Matahambre mines, in Pinar del Río province, and stated they had seen the object over the mining area.

They described it as larger than regular aircraft seen in the area. The object flew silently, and after a few minutes, it rapidly vanished toward the sea. This was the full description that appeared in the newspaper; no further details about its appearance were provided.

Why Did the FBI Receive the Report?

An FBI representative in Havana forwarded the report to the main office in the United States. He wrote that the information was submitted to the Bureau in case it still wished to receive reports of such flying objects. The transfer does not mean that the Bureau verified the story or knew what was seen in the sky.

The tangible detail remains: an object that looked like a hat, hovered silently, and disappeared toward the sea. However, no one else corroborated the story with a similar report.

What Remains Unknown

It is unknown what the two men saw, and no additional reports were received to confirm their statements. The FBI representative in Havana wrote that he did not conduct a local inquiry and offered no conventional explanation for what was described.

The object disappeared over Cuba, heading toward the sea. All that remained was a newspaper report.

Two Men Reported Seeing a Hat-Shaped Object Over Cuba

Incidents in the document

Quotes from the file

People, places and organizations

People

What was blacked out

Questions & answers

Open discussion

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The Story Reaches Havana

Why Did the FBI Receive the Report?

What Remains Unknown

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